


Once Upon a Dream

by Scribbling Mama (melgibson87)



Series: AU August 2018 [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: AU August, De-aged Chat Noir, De-aged Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Dream World, F/M, Not Canon Compliant, Pre-Canon, Soulmate AU, dream meeting, reverse crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-01
Updated: 2018-10-21
Packaged: 2019-06-20 03:04:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15524664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melgibson87/pseuds/Scribbling%20Mama
Summary: It's said that you'll meet your soulmate in your dreams. You'll be able to interact and even remember those interactions upon waking. This is the story of how Marinette met her soulmate, Chat Noir.





	1. Marinette Meets Her Soulmate

**Author's Note:**

> This was a story request on Tumblr as part of AU August. This will most likely have a total of five or six chapters. I'm not quite sure just yet. I definitely want to get them to meet each other while awake. We'll see how it goes as I continue building up this world.

 

Marinette had heard about meeting one’s soulmate in one’s dreams, but she hadn’t thought meeting her soulmate would bring such a confusing bundle to her.

As she walked around in the world of her creation late one night, she came upon said bundle and wondered if she should continue forward. She couldn’t make it out exactly, but she knew it wasn’t whatever it was pretending to be.

Curiosity won as she asked, “What are you doing?”

Her hands came to rest on her hips as she waited for the other’s answer.

Her six years of life hadn’t prepared her for the mop of blonde hair or the green eyes that stared back at her from behind a mask. The eyes looked so frightened as the small bundle remained in a tight ball.

“Hey, you okay?” She crept forward, crouching so she wouldn’t frighten the boy. At least she thought he was a boy. “You’re a cat?”

He shook his head, his eyes downcast as he remained frozen. In a tiny voice, he finally said, “I’m a boy. I don’t like this place.”

“We can go somewhere else,” she assured him, still creeping towards him with the utmost care. “I’m Marinette. What’s your name?”

“I don’t talk to strangers. You’re a stranger. I just want to go home,” the boy whined, his green eyes filling with tears. “I want my mama.”

Closing her eyes, Marinette pictured the person she most wanted right then, conjuring them into existence within their shared dream. She morphed their surroundings while she was at it, bringing them out of the heavily treed park and into her favorite place in the world.

“Is this better?” she asked, her eyes opening once again and meeting his green ones.

He peeked around, a smile creeping over his features. He quickly wiped it away as if he wasn’t allowed to smile much. He kept his distance from her, even as the person she conjured came into the room, her arms open.

“Mama,” Marinette shouted, jumping up and racing into the woman’s arms. She smiled as the arms enveloped her. “You always give the best hugs.”

She peeked back at the little boy, or rather the cat-boy. She couldn’t tell if he wore a costume or if he imagined himself as a small kitten. The more she considered it, the more she found she didn’t mind. A smile forming as she regarded him.

“Would you like a hug from Mama? She really does give the best hugs.” She beckoned him forward, her tiny hand outstretched.

He shook his head, but his resistance didn’t last as long as she thought it might. Soon, he unfolded himself, standing at a mere two inches taller than her, and crept forward, his hands holding onto the tail of his full cat costume. His ears flicked forward and back as he moved, eliciting a giggle from her at their realness.

Her smile softened as he allowed her mama to envelope him in her arms, a purr coming from him and surprising them all.

“Marinette,” the small voice whispered, green eyes watching her from the safety of her mother’s arms. “Are you my friend?”

She nodded.

He moved from her mother and wrapped his small arms around her neck, pulling her close.

“Can we stay here for a while?”

“Silly chaton, of course, we can.” She lifted her arms and wrapped them around his waist, letting him hold her as long as he needed to feel safe. A thought struck her. “How about I call you Chat Noir?”

“Okay.” His arms loosened their hold on her. “Mama made me this costume. She said it would keep me safe.”

Marinette pulled back far enough to look at him, her gaze going over the full suit, the black fur soft under her fingers as it covered him from neck to foot. She thought he looked so cute, too, with his mask and ears. She’d already seen his ears working and wondered if his tail moved, too. She supposed she’d find out soon enough.

“Chat, why were you scared? It was the park. Haven’t you been to the park before?”

He shook his head.

“Why not? It’s the best park in Paris.”

“Father doesn’t like me going outside. He says it’s not safe.”

“Don’t you wanna go to the park?”                          

Chat hesitated before nodding, his eyes widening a bit with hope.

“Then, we’ll go to the park together. You’ll be safe then because you’ll have a friend.”

True to her word, they stayed within the warmth and safety of the bakery, not venturing from her conjured dream world until he was ready. With a little effort, she took them back to the park where she’d first found him, and she’d gone to play. She kept a tight grip on his hand, assuring him with her small presence that nothing would harm him there.

Together, they explored the different trees, Marinette pointing out the few she and her other friends have tried climbing while awake. She showed him the one where she’d gotten stuck, needing her papa to help her out once. Once they made it through the trees, she showed him the real treasure of the park, the enchanted playground where she and her friends had gone on so many adventures together. To help illustrate, she even conjured up a few of her friends, introducing Chat to each of them in turn.

“See, it’s not so bad. I told you, didn’t I?”

He nodded, his smile bright as he watched her friends play. He didn’t really leave her side, but she didn’t mind.

Their shared dream would soon come to an end, but the promise they made that night was one they would never break, coming together whenever they needed each other most.


	2. A Small Confession

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter jumps three years so they're both nine at this point. The next chapter will be them at 12 while the final three will happen when they're 17.

 

"I told my mother about you," Chat admitted in a quiet voice, his eyes focused on the ball they'd been playing with.

Marinette could sense the change in him, moving closer and doing the best she could to understand. Chat never spoke much about his home life with her, she knew, preferring to learn more about her adventures. She couldn't help wondering why he didn't have any stories of his own to tell, almost worried that she'd been matched with a soulmate without the ability to spin a good story.

Coming back to the matter at hand, she could only think of one question to ask him. "What did she say?"

He smiled then. Not the happiest smile she'd seen him wear, but a smile that still held the power to make her feel warm. "She thinks you're perfect for me."

"Do you think I'll get to meet her soon? You don't talk about your family, Chat. Why?" She reached out, staying the ball he'd prepared to toss at the nearby wall to continue their game. 

A simple tug of his chin from her fingers had him sighing in defeat and a frown replacing his brief smile.

"My father doesn't know. She wants me to keep it from him."

That hadn't been the answer she expected as she practically shouted, "Why? Am I not good enough or something?"

"No, you're amazing, but Mother worries Father won't be happy. He, uh-um, likes to have things a certain way. He gets angry when they aren't right." His eyes dropped to his feet, refusing to budge as a deep red color stained his cheeks. 

If she didn't know any better, she'd almost assume he fought tears as he waited for whatever she had to say.

Unsure what to say to make him feel better, she settled for running her fingers through his hair, much like she'd done since they first met. She made sure to scratch as she near the sensitive area behind his ear, earning a soft almost purr-like sound from him for her efforts.

"I told Maman and Papa about you, too," she said after a while, breaking the silence.

"And?" 

His eyes met hers through the mask he insisted on wearing, looking quite guarded. Ever since their first meeting over three years ago, he'd been coming to visit her dreams in a cat costume, complete with a mask to cover his face. She hated it at first yet had eventually come to accept it as part of him. She didn't truly care that he felt insecure about her seeing him because they'd become friends. He could be wearing rags and she wouldn't mind, not that she told him. Heaven forbid, she gave him ideas, she thought with a slight smile tugging at her lips.

"They'd like to meet you one day. Papa wants to teach you how to bake and become a great punner like him." 

"He does?"

She nodded, her smile growing as she continued, "Maman wants to know if you're being fed well. She has plenty of baked goods and dishes she'll make when you meet them. She's always trying to get me to gain weight, but I'm too hyper, I guess. That's what she says anyway."

"Why would they be so nice to me?"

Her mouth dropped open as she stared at him for several moments.

They might only be nine, but she wasn't completely unknowledgeable. She knew that something wasn't right in Chat's life, but he refused to tell her. She's kept up hope he'd tell her when he was ready, maybe one day soon.

In the meantime, she continued to stare, her mouth agape, until the words finally formed and rushed out of her. "Why wouldn't they? You're my friend and soulmate, Chat."

It took him a while to respond as he took his turn in staring at her in wonder. 

It hurt her to think he didn't know he'd be immediately liked by her parents. She'd liked him despite his fears and his costume. Heck, she liked him because of them, too. She just liked him.

When he finally did speak, his words were almost lost to the void of the dream, spoken so low she almost couldn't make them out. "I don't think my father likes me that much. He never spends time with me. Neither does Mother. She's always so busy with Father."

Wanting to make him feel better, she banished the play yard they'd created at the beginning of their shared dream, reworking their surroundings until the bakery formed around them. She added more details to show the changes her parents had proudly made to their growing success of a business. 

"Come on, Chat," she whispered, taking his hand. "Let's see what Maman and Papa are up to."

She led him into the kitchen area where her parents worked in their dream world, creating a new batch of cookies. 

Hugs were exchanged between everyone, lingering ones for Chat as her maman and papa both took their time with him as she watched and controlled. She doubted she'd ever stop trying to comfort him however she could. 

She handed him a cookie after her papa finally released him, a smile gracing her features as she asked, "Would you like to see my room? We can play there." 

He hesitated long enough for her to add, "Or we can stay down here and make more cookies with Maman and Papa."

"Can we do both?"

She nodded, happy to see him coming back to her as a smile lit up his face, his eyes glowing almost like a real cat. 

She really did hate seeing her sweet Chat sad.


	3. Chat's Worst Nightmare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter is heavy on the angst. I promise it's the only one that's this heavy. The next chapter is actually a lot lighter and a bit fluffier.

Excitement flowed through Marinette as she dashed through the meadow of her dream, eager to find her favorite person in the world. She couldn’t wait to tell him the biggest news of her young life. She raced through the trees, barely feeling the lower branches grazing her skin in her haste.

The light at the edge of the woods beckoned her. On the other side of the final copse of trees lay her favorite place in her dream world. A cliff overlooking a vast sea full of possibilities. Ships could be seen on the horizon, full of pirate treasures and stories waiting to be told. One day, she hoped to board one with her best friend, sharing in such an adventure.

First, though, she had her news to share with him.

Coming out of the forest of magic, she paused to catch her breath, only to widen her eyes at the sight welcoming her.

Lightning struck nearby as a small mass huddled in the center. Lightning surrounded the hunched mass, creating a protective barrier from the dream world she shared with him.

“Chat?” Her words, though shouted, became lost on the howling wind that swirled and rose around at her presence. “Chat, what’s going on? What’s wrong?”

Nothing in her twelve years of life could’ve garnered such an emotional reaction or change to their dream world. The violence of the storm threatened to uproot her, sending her into the very sea she wanted to explore. Granted, she wanted to do so on her terms and with Chat beside her. Anything else would be less than ideal in her opinion.

Watching and waiting, she jumped at the loud booms of thunder accompanying the lightning. Her eyes grew impossibly wider upon hearing the taunting voice within each boom, its coldness enough to send her rushing back to consciousness and her parents’ warm embrace.

_She’s gone. She’s gone, son. She’s gone._

She couldn’t leave Chat. She wouldn’t. Not when he needed her.

She took a tentative step forward, jumping back when a lightning bolt touched down not five meters from her.

“I can’t reach you, Chat. Please, stop this. I can’t help if I can’t reach you.” Her words rose on the wind, swirling until they became lost like her earlier ones. Chat still couldn’t hear her over the loud echoes within the thunder’s taunting.

_She’s gone. She’s gone, son. She’s gone._

“Who’s gone, Chat?” She stared at his hunched form. It took her longer than she cared to admit, but once it clicked, her determination grew a hundredfold. “I’m coming, Chat. I’m not leaving you.”

Imagining them in her parents’ bakery, she worked to erase the foreboding and dangerous atmosphere brewing around them. She pictured all the small details until she caught a whiff of warmth, her smile lighting upon her face. As she peeked her eyes open though, she gasped, discovering the landscape around them unchanged.

His emotional storm too powerful to overcome with her abilities, she grew more determined to reach him. She couldn’t trust he’d be fine after learning such devastating news. She may not know much about her sweet Chat, but she did know how much his mother had meant to him. To have lost her, she couldn’t imagine the blow his poor heart had suffered.

Unsure of her next move, she watched the storm as it danced and circled around him, the thunder growing louder and the lightning crackling where it hit. Both left pain and devastation in their wake.

The moment she caught her opening, she wasted no time in building a tunnel. Running, she soon came to the glass-like barrier surrounding Chat as the storm raged beyond its thick, impenetrable surface.

Banging on the glass, she called out to him, pleading with him to let her in.

This time, he finally heard her, turning tear-stained cheeks and red-rimmed eyes in her direction, his expression vacant. She couldn’t recall the last time she’d seen his brilliant green eyes so dim, barely catching a glimmer of lightning when it lit his face.

“Chat, please, let me in. Don’t do this. Don’t push me away.”

He turned away, his head resting back on his raised knees. His shoulders shook as new emotion rose within him.

The storm shook her imagined tunnel, threatening to rip it from her.

Not wasting another moment, she imagined an icebreaker, hoping it’d work against the glass surrounding him.

One hit. Two. Then, three. Four. Five.

Success.

The glass splintered and cracked where she struck, breaking into millions of tempered pieces.

 _Thank goodness, he didn’t make it regular glass_ , she mused as she kicked the shards from her path.

Not wasting another moment, she stepped over the final pieces of glass and ran the final steps to his side. She dropped to her knees beside and wrapped her arms around him, her fingers barely brushing together after his most recent growth spurt.

“I’m here, Chaton. I’m here. I won’t ever leave you.” She chanted the words into his ear, hoping he could hear her. She couldn’t imagine losing someone so close to her, thankful for her parents more than ever at that moment. “I’m sorry, Chaton. I’m so, so sorry. I’m here. I’m here.”

She didn’t know how long the storm lasted or when the glass shield disappeared. All she knew, all she cared about, was the boy in her arms, his raspy breaths shaking his lanky frame. His grief consumed him while she held onto him with all she had.

She kept her promise. She never let him go.

She held him as he continued to shake, continued to leak tears down his cheeks. She held him until his tears dried on his cheeks, his mask sitting askew on his cheeks. She held him until the color returned to his features, especially his green eyes. She didn’t let go until he offered her his first real smile and a soft thank you.

If she’d known it would be the last time she saw him, she wouldn’t have let go at all.


	4. A Chance Encounter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter and the rest take place outside the dream realm. Whatever encounters take place for the rest of the story all take place while awake.

 

“Girl, don’t tell me you wasted another night over that horrible soulmate of yours.” Alya slammed her hands on the counter within the bakery, her eyes glowing with a knowing fire at her best friend. “It’s been five years since you’ve seen him in your dreams. Don’t you think it’s time you moved on?”

“It’s not that simple, Al.” Marinette maneuvered several sheets of baked goods around, pulling the older pieces to the back for first picking while the fresher goods went to the front. “He left without a word. I have no idea if he’s okay. That’s all I’ve wanted. Just one sign he was okay. If I got that, then maybe I could move on.”

“Girl, you’re asking for the impossible.” The aspiring reporter and part-time blogger rolled her eyes at her long-time friend. “Maybe he doesn’t want you to know he’s moved on. You ever think of that? Come on, Mari. You need to get out more. You’re young and gorgeous. Any guy in his right mind wouldn’t say no to a date with you. Or girl for that matter.”

Marinette smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners as her friend’s words played over in her mind. She knew Alya had a point. She felt ready to move on. She even agreed she should move on, but something always held her back. Something always came to her and beckoned her to wait just a little bit longer.

It didn’t change as she met her best friend’s bespectacled eyes and shrugged.

Sighing with frustration, Alya’s hand reached over the counter and caught the string of Marinette’s apron at her neck, stilling the raven-haired woman in her ministrations.

“Let’s make a deal. One more week of waiting for your soulmate. If he doesn’t show, then you’re going out with Nino and me to hear his set next weekend. Who knows? Maybe you’ll meet someone interesting and will finally get your mind off your childhood sweetheart.” Her hand fell away to rest against the counter, palm open and ready for Marinette’s to meet it. “Deal?”

Shouts and squeals outside the bakery prevented Marinette from answering Alya’s proposition.

The door burst open and a harried-looking blond with bright green eyes glanced around the interior with wide eyes. He looked almost familiar, but she shoved the thought aside as she called out a greeting to him.

“Hide. I need to hide.” He stepped forward, only to drop to his knees as several women and men flocked outside the bakery’s door. He scooted until he disappeared from their sight. Hands and faces pressed against the glass, trying hard to see within the tinted windows for their prey.

“What’s going on?” Her whispered words drifted over to her friend, who kept her keen eyes on the newest member of the bakery’s front room. Allowing her eyes to drift back over the young man, she realized with a start why he looked so familiar to her. “Adrien Agreste? What are you doing in my parents’ bakery?”

The blond looked up at him, his green eyes piercing her blue ones with a keenness she hadn’t expected. The intelligence lurking in his eyes didn’t hide the uncertainty as he dared another peek at the front door.

It dawned on her a moment later he worried she might give him away, gaining notoriety for the bakery by using his presence to her advantage. The thought irked her more than it should have, but she felt a strong stab to her integrity at his presumption. As if she needed some celebrity to help sell her parents’ baked goods. They were good enough on their own.

The anger disappeared quickly as he kept his gaze on her a moment longer, softening the intensity as he realized she wouldn’t betray his location. He offered her a soft smile, the corners of his lips tugging at the thought of gaining her allegiance for that moment.

Neither moved as the crowd outside the window dissipated.

An eternity passed before Alya nodded at the blond, holding out a hand to him. “So, Sunshine, what brings you to our little corner of the world?”

The smirk the redhead wore had Marinette fighting a smile of her own. Leave it to her best friend to immediately interrogate anyone new regardless of their social status or handsomeness. Must be nice to have a boyfriend like Nino, so understanding of his girlfriend’s drive to seek out answers.

“I, um, I should probably apologize. It seems I interrupted a pretty important conversation earlier.” His left hand played with a silver ring on his right, twisting the metal back and forth several times. His gaze bounced between the two women, almost as if he weren’t sure what he should say or do as they met his gaze.

“You interrupted nothing, M. Agreste.” Marinette moved around the counter, holding out a paper bag with a few goods she packed for him without even considering it. She couldn’t even say why she’d done such a thing but something about him sparked an interest within her. She just wished she could place the reason why.

“Adrien, please.” He held out his hand, waiting for hers. The smile he gave her upon giving him his wish tugged at her memory. He reminded her of someone, but she couldn’t place who that could be. “You remind me of someone.”

He started as the words left his mouth, almost as if he hadn’t meant to say them. A blush streaked across his cheeks and even lit up the tips of his ears.

She offered him her sweetest smile, hoping to ease his discomfort. “I could say the same about you. I feel like I’ve seen you before.”

That got a laugh from him as he glanced outside, his gaze resting on the billboard across the street with one of his posters plastered across it. “Uncanny.”

Giggling, she waved her hand in front of her, hoping to dispel the notion though a similar darkening of her cheeks gave her away. “No, that’s not what I meant.” She paused to meet his green eyes once more. Recalling the bag in her hand, she held it out to him. “These are for you. For your trouble with the crowd out there.”

“Thank you. Mlle?”

Another soft blush rushed over her cheeks, darkening them more as she recognized the smitten feeling overcoming her. She hadn’t felt it in quite a while. “Marinette. My name’s Marinette.”

The bag slipped from his fingers as panic shadowed his features, turning his skin a sickly pale color. His blond hair stood out as the rosy tint fled from his cheeks and his green, green eyes widened to a cartoonish size.

“Adrien, are you okay?”

She reached out for him, her hand almost resting on his arm.

He jumped away, his eyes bouncing around the bakery for the first time. Horror filled his expression as he shook his head, muttering nonsensical words. She thought she caught something like “this can’t be real” and “it’s not real” but she couldn’t be sure.

Before either Marinette or Alya could do anything, he’d fled the bakery and disappeared down the side street.

Wide hazel eyes met her blue ones as Alya asked, “What was that all about?”

Shrugging her shoulders, Marinette turned back to the display cases, intent on getting back to work. Her gaze, however, had other ideas as it went outside a final time, hoping to catch a glimpse of a certain blond and find him okay.


	5. A Bumbling Confession

“Are you sure I can go, Papa? I don’t want to leave you short-handed.” Marinette’s gaze rested on the long line within the bakery, surprised by the number of patrons for the time of day. “Maman might need me.”

“We’ll be fine, sweetheart. Go and get some sketching done.” He shooed her out the back door, turning back to the ovens and checking on his prize baguettes and other baked goods.

A final glance at the bakery’s front room, Marinette nodded. She grabbed up her bag, shoving aside the guilt she felt at leaving despite her father’s insistence. He wouldn’t lie to her about their capabilities, she knew, but that didn’t mean she liked leaving them when they might need her.

“Go on, Marinette.” Her father’s voice washed over her, his head poking out from the kitchen to gaze at her in the hallway.

“Yes, Papa.” She nodded once more and turned toward the side door, her hand on the knob when a knock sounded on the other side. She jumped back, surprised by the sound and the face peering through the glass. “Adrien?”

She pulled the door open and stared at him, waiting for him to state his reason for being on her doorstep. The last time she’d seen him had been nearly a week ago and he’d left in such a hurry at learning her name. She couldn’t help but wonder what she’d done to the famous model to earn such a reaction.

A sheepish smile graced his features. It didn’t quite reach his eyes as his hand fiddled with the ring on his finger. The metal swiveled around the finger as he played with it, almost second nature to him.

“Hi, uh, I was hoping to catch you.”

“Oh? Well, you caught me. What’s up?” She took a step closer, curiosity about the blond pulling her in. She banished the random thought he wasn’t the only blond to attract her, not wanting to dwell on Chat any longer. He obviously didn’t want anything to do with her any longer.

He didn’t say anything, his hand still fidgeting with his ring. His gaze would meet hers for a moment, only to skitter away and come back to repeat itself a few more times.

Unsure how long she should wait for him to respond, she finally grew tired of whatever game he wanted to play, almost certain the model had to be messing with her. Tapping her foot and glancing at her phone’s clock, she turned to him once more, shoulders squaring. “Is there something you wanted?”

“I thought you were a figment of my imagination.” His blurted words slammed into her, knocking her back a step.

“Excuse me?” She shook her head, unsure she heard him correctly.

A furious blush rushed over his cheeks. His eyes bulged as his words hit him, too. “Oh, no, that’s not what I meant to say. I mean, it’s true, but I wasn’t going to start with that. I, um, I wanted to know if I could treat you to lunch, but now, I fear you might think I’m a crazy person. I wouldn’t blame you, either. I haven’t made the best impression, but I want to know you. I’ve missed you all these years. It’s been not great at home, you know, and worse since you disappeared. And, um, I, uh, I, oh, forget it. I’m sorry, Marinette. I shouldn’t waste any more of your time. I’ll go now. I won’t bother you again.”

He looked almost ready to bolt if she read his expression correctly, catching the growing fear racing into his eyes. His spewed words swirled around her, almost daunting in their overloaded messages. Something had obviously happened to the blond before her and she couldn’t allow him to leave, not without knowing what had brought on all that.

_Missed her. Figment of his imagination. Not great at home. Worse since she disappeared._

What was going on with him?

Reaching out, she grabbed his arm and held him still, her blue gaze meeting his green one. The fear hadn’t dissipated, she noted, rather it heightened to a degree that produced a sympathetic reaction within her.

“Hey, wait.” She took a small gulp before pasting on her warmest smile. “I think lunch would be nice. I know a nice café down the street or we can eat here if you’d like.”

He gaped at her. The thought she might be giving him a chance after all seemed to be short-circuiting his brain. At least, that’s what it seemed like to her as she watched his mouth open and close a few times, his brow arching and smoothing. She almost wondered if she’d ever get an answer out of him when he finally nodded, quite vigorously.

Taking his hand, she led him toward the café, recalling at the last moment his reaction to the bakery upon his last visit. She still wondered about it. Did it have anything to do with his little tirade? He missed her? They just met how could he miss her when they’d just met, and he’d bolted upon hearing her name. So many questions plagued her mind where he was concerned. She could only hope to gain the answers she needed from him during their lunch.

Taking a seat across from him, she allowed the sun’s warm rays to beat down on her, basking in the final days of summer. She almost wished she could bottle them, despising the cold days coming. Sure, she loved the holidays, but couldn’t they be in warmer months where they could spend that time outdoors?

“Wow, you’re more beautiful than I remember.”

She opened her eyes, not realizing she’d closed them, and caught his green gaze staring with open admiration. She fought the blush threatening to spill over her cheeks, but she lost the battle, the pink tint warming her skin.

Clearing her throat with a soft cough, she glanced at her water glass, lifting it to take a grateful sip before turning to him once more. “Have we met before? You keep acting like we have, but I feel like I’d know if I’d met the famous Agreste heir before a week ago.”

A smile graced his features as he took his chance to sip from his glass, doing his best to still the fidgeting of his hands. Based on the red mark peeking under his ring, he hadn’t succeeded.

“I guess you wouldn’t recognize me, but then, you haven’t seen me as me, have you? I’m sorry about that. I should’ve told you who I was all those years ago. Maybe I wouldn’t have lost you for so long.” The ring twisted and turned several revolutions on his fingers, further marring his skin.

Shaking her head, she tried to work through what he was saying to her, but it didn’t make any sense to her. She couldn’t fathom what he wanted from her. She almost feared he might need psychological help as he continued speaking nonsense to her. When had they ever met? What did he mean not seen him as him? He’d said they’d known each other for years? How was that possible? She’d know if they’d met. Right?

Deciding to cut her losses, she prepared to make her excuses and bolt, but he stopped her, much like she’d done earlier.

“Marinette, I’m not crazy. I swear. It’s me.” His hand tightened on her arm before letting go, his hand rushing to his side of the table. “I didn’t mean to grab you. I apologize.”

“It’s fine, but I don’t know what you’re talking about, Adrien. You keep saying we know each other, but we don’t. We haven’t ever met. I think maybe you should seek some help. I’m not the person you’re looking for.” She picked up her bag and tossed it onto her shoulder, intent on leaving when his voice stopped her cold.

“Chat Noir.” She turned to face him and caught the green in his eyes, seeing a thousand memories in them. Memories she thought best forgotten before she met those familiar green eyes. “It’s me, Mari.”


	6. New Beginnings

Shock plopped her back into the chair she’d vacated, her mouth gaping as she studied his features.

“I’ve missed you so much, Mari. Please don’t leave me when I’ve just found you again.”

The chair anchored her as she rested her entire weight on the seat, unsure she’d be able to stand if she’d wanted. His words arced through her, swifter than any arrow might have.

“Prove it. Prove you’re Chat.”

Her blue eyes searched his green ones, wondering if he’d somehow learned about Chat but she couldn’t understand why he’d do such a thing. They had nothing to tie them together. Sure, she idolized his father as a fashion designer and hoped to gain an internship with the man one day. Other than that, they had no connections. At least, none she knew.

“I swear I won’t have you pretending to be someone you’re not. I don’t know you, Adrien. I’m not going to sit here and have you pretend when you obviously need help. I swear I’ll—”

“Do you still have that pink sewing machine? The one you spent months saving up for and were so proud to tell me about. I ruined that day for you. I never got to tell you how much your triumph helped me through a lot over the years. Your sweetness and your determination, even when I was told you didn’t exist, that you weren’t real.” He paused, taking a breath. His gaze dropped to the silver ring on his finger, the corners of his lips tugging upward. “You were always real to me. I never forgot you despite my father’s best efforts. I couldn’t.”

“You lost your mother that day. That awful voice kept saying she was gone.”

The corners tugged a bit more, a soft smile blooming. “Yeah, and you drowned it out, saying you wouldn’t go anywhere. You promised you’d always be there for me.”

Cooing pigeons drew her attention toward the sidewalk. She stared at them for a moment, allowing her mind to drift back to that day. She hadn’t ever forgotten that dream, how real and vivid it’d been for them. His pain had been her pain as he mourned the loss of his mother, her tiny arms wrapped tight around him.

“It was the last time I saw you. I thought I did something wrong. You left me without a word, Chat. Why? What did I do?” Her gaze came back to meet his, startled to find his smile replaced with a frown, not a deep one but rather a thoughtful one.

His hand came out toward her, his palm open.

She took it without hesitation, waiting for him to explain. She wanted, needed answers about what happened. She hadn’t ever forgotten her sweet Chat, wishing she’d see him again one day. Her last memory of him had never been shared with anyone except her diary, which she kept locked up tight. Only one person could know that memory and she was looking at him, her eyes growing wet with unshed tears at his reappearance in her life.

“Mari, I’m sorry. You did nothing wrong. I screwed up. It was me. I told my father about you. I thought he was fine with it, but then, he got weird. He had me go on sleeping pills that suppressed my dreams. I didn’t know until I saw you again. I confronted him later that day and learned the truth.”

Her mouth dropped open as he talked, almost sure she’d heard him wrong. How could any father do such a thing? Surely, her idol wouldn’t be so cruel as to keep his son from someone like her. What had she ever done to deserve such derision from a man she’d never met?

“That’s twisted, Adrien. Why would he do that? Why would he tear us apart?”

A shrug of his shoulders, he shook his head as if clearing his mind of those same questions.

Deciding it wasn’t worth dwelling on, she offered him a warm smile, her gaze traveling over his much-missed features. She couldn’t quite contain her hope as she regarded his blond mop of hair, seeing the untamed locks he loved to wear in their dreams despite the perfect coif he wore. The temptation to reach up and ruin that perfection until she had her Chat Noir back almost proved too great, but she managed to contain herself.

“So, where do we go from here?”

“I’m not sure what you want, Mari, but I’d really like to get to know you again. I know we’re soulmates, but I’ve found that doesn’t always mean anything. I want to know you though, to see if you’re still the same sweet girl I once knew.” His hand tightened around hers, his fingers flexing so he wouldn’t hurt her even as he held her. His eyes traced over her hand, drawing it closer to drop a kiss on her knuckles.

Her fingers tightened as a hundred memories of him doing the same from their dreams. She choked back a sob as they bombarded her with their remembered sweetness, her lashes spiking from the moisture gathered there.

“I want that, too, Chaton. I really, really do.” She giggled as she read the pleasure on his face at her acceptance of his desires. Raising her glass, she clinked it with his as she whispered, “Here’s to old friends and new beginnings.”

The first real smile she’d seen graced his features. “I like that. To new beginnings.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I left this story very open. I really enjoyed working with the idea of soulmates and the idea they can interact in their dreams with one another. I'm considering doing something again with this idea later on, but for now, I hope you enjoyed this little soulmate AU with Adrien and Marinette. 
> 
> I'll be working on other stories with my AU series over the coming weeks, trying to finish up as many as I can before the year is out. Let's see how far I can get. Until then, happy reading.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [Tumblr](http://scribblingmama.tumblr.com)


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